It is no secret that education builds long-term relationships within and between communities. These relationships will play a crucial role in building the Middle East of tomorrow.
Given the increasing skills shortage in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and the abundance of young people in the region — half the population is under 25 years old — governments need to cooperate with the private sector in order to ensure that education is developed sufficiently to support and sustain strong economic development
This region has vast potential, and young people are more educated, more technologically literate, and more engaged with the news than ever before. We have seen much of their energy spill over into the streets of some countries, primarily out of a desire to live better lives. However, as the region continues to grow and evolve it will come up against the challenge of supplying the right people for the right jobs in its economies.
A recent report by the World Bank warned that Arab countries need to generate 100 million jobs for their youth by 2020, and high repetition and truancy rates continue to plague educational systems in many of these countries. Concurrently, many of the region's economies are expanding at a rapid rate that is creating a wealth of opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
Monumental efforts
Although regional governments are exerting monumental efforts to bring education to the masses, the evidence is undeniable that more needs to be done. Some 80 per cent of over 7.5 million university-level students in the region are enrolled in national universities, but these are full to the brim and lack sufficient financing. More importantly, the recently convened Global Education Forum highlighted that each university graduate needs to be supported by up to 10 people with vocational skills to be able to maintain sustainable economic growth.
These are staggering figures, and governments cannot — and should not — go it alone. It also means that we must look beyond what is fashionable for people to study, and to realise that popular assumptions about what constitutes a successful career can quickly become mismatched with economic realities on the ground.
Private sector companies which have found success in the region and want to help stimulate further success must therefore support the development of human skills and expertise locally. This must not only focus on professional disciplines, but should also offer vocational training and encourage the uptake of jobs by highlighting their importance to the economy. Several economies around the world have now ascended to global dominance thanks to the diversity of their workforces.
The region needs more scholarships and endowments for university students and fellows, and mandatory internships, apprenticeships or work-experience terms to involve students and recent graduates in hands-on industry experience that builds up their work ethic. We also need more business-education partnerships that begin in schools and continue all the way through people's careers, an approach that has been successful for Rolls-Royce, which runs a programme that enjoys a 98 per cent retention rate; with 90 per cent of apprentices going on to achieve higher qualifications, half to degree level. There are also other success stories in countries like France, with its Stage en France apprenticeship system.
Apprenticeship system
In fact, nearly all of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa have had centuries of experience in the apprenticeship system. Returning to this tradition could help alleviate skills shortages significantly, something which is already taking place in countries like Turkey, India and Pakistan.
Australian Apprenticeships involve 400,000 people in over 500 occupations, some of them as young as 14 years. In Germany it is nearly impossible to find employment without having completed an apprenticeship, and there are longstanding systems in place in countries like Austria, and even the UK which reinstated apprenticeship programmes in the 1990s following the abolishment of compulsory apprenticeships during the Industrial Revolution.
Engineering is a good example of where this approach would add value, as finding and training the engineers of the future needs to start early. A practical and interactive curriculum is key to generating enthusiasm amongst students who should have some understanding of an industry by the time they have to decide what they want to do for a career. We must reach back further into the education system by introducing initiatives that excite students about technical vocations earlier in their academic careers.
It is reassuring to see more private sector firms in the region taking on a greater responsibility towards the local community. Moreover, it could help ensure the population enjoys a more diverse range of skills that are relevant in a fast-growing region which needs local people for the industries that will power future growth.
Rob Watson is the Regional Director, Middle East for Rolls-Royce Plc, a global power systems company.
